Well, I dickered about posting on "Penelope" - the new release from Summit - which premiered last night at the Landmark Theatre in West Los Angeles.
On the surface, the idea is offensive.
A baby girl is born with a "pig face" arising from an age-old curse.
In an intriguing scenario, stringent conditions must be met by a descendant of the bloodline before the spell can be lifted.
For the most part, the feature tends to focus on the shame of the stigma that has been thrust upon the well-positioned upper crust family in the community at large.
In this sort-of - "black comedy" - the producers have devoted an inordinate amount of screen footage beholden to the bold-faced efforts of the parents to shield - hide? - their sensitive daughter from the prying eyes of a society they perceive as cruel and heartless.
Tasteless piggy jokes abound amid a round of endless off-the-wall sight gags - which, at times - repulse. Although the better judgment of the audience tends to lean on the side of caution with regard to such repugnant material - at times, the theatre-goer can't help but emit a jittery giggle or loud guffaw - such is the power of the story-telling devices here which compel a reaction.
The tale tends to be - quite simply - superficial, silly, and earnestly off-beat. In a nutshell, Penelope is a commercially-focused Hollywood piece of crap.
It appears that on a basic level, the filmmakers are not only "pooh-poohing" the exaltation of physical beauty by sentient beings in the civilized classes - but, in particular - are pointing the finger at those unsavory few who pine for it ad nauseam in our decidedly hedonistic society.
The tale of "Penelope" - albeit here, slightly twisted - is rooted in Ancient Lore.
In fact, in Homer's - Odyssey - Penélopê was the faithful wife of Odysseus who kept her suitors at bay in his long absence until she is rejoined with him at last. The name has been associated with faithfulness; so clearly, Summit's production is a facet lethally-laced with poetic license.
On a more insightful second glance, "Penelope" is essentially a cautionary tale with an underlying notion that resonates: peer beyond the surface, don't second guess people, and - most importantly - be faithful to and accept yourself.
The truth will set you free.
The Vatican Penelope
A Roman marble copy of an Early Classical 6th-century Greek sculpture.
When a young mother dies because of the difficult choice he makes, there is a full-scale investigation, and Bacon is placed on suspension until such time as the facts can be determined.
